site.btaParliament Imposes Moratorium on New Concessions, Real Estate Deals and Appointments by Outgoing Government

April 22 (BTA) - Parliament imposed Thursday a moratorium
 on some decisions by the outgoing administration in the period
until the formation of a new government or the appointment of a
caretaker government. The decision was made unanimously by the
attending 151 MPs in the 240-member legislature. The formerly
ruling GERB did not participate in the vote.

Experts and politicians have pointed out that such a decision
may hamper the constitutional powers of the executive branch.

The moratorium applies to decisions for award of concessions,
including determination of the concession royalty and
permissions for broadening the scope of prospecting for subsoil
resources; taking out new government debt; making changes in the
 management and control bodies of public companies, State-owned
healthcare establishments or appointing new managing and control
 bodies; sale of public movable or immovable property; and
appointing senior office holders and civil servants.

Two draft resolutions for a moratorium, one moved by Socialist
leader Kornelia Ninova and the other by Rise Up! Thugs Out!
floor leader Maya Manolova, were merged in one.

There was a dispute in the plenary about who proposed the
moratorium first, why it was not adopted last week and whether
it is anti-constitutional.

Borislav Sandov (Democratic Bulgaria) proposed that the
moratorium be widened to cover real estate transactions of the
Defence Ministry. He argued that a large number of disused
Defence Ministry properties have been sold and there are plans
for more this year. Maya Manolova asked that its scope of
application be made to include real estate deals of the other
ministries and government agencies.

Finally, on a proposal by Hristo Gadjev (GERB), the MPs included
 in the moratorium all real estate transactions by the
government and its departments.

Later on Thursday during a briefing in Parliament, GERB-UDF
floor leader Dessislava Atanassova said that her parliamentary
group will approach the Constitutional Court to come up with an
interpretative ruling on Parliament's decision to impose the
moratorium.

Atanassova said the Court will also be petitioned to declare the
 decision unconstitutional. The petition and the application for
 the interpretative ruling are expected to be submitted to the
Court next week.

Atanassova said that her group has received numerous questions
about the moratorium, in particular about the section that
suspends appointments in the state administration. GERB reminded
 that appointment procedures are to be suspended in all 265
municipalities in Bulgaria. RY, NV/LN, ZH